de normanville



(mam W, L. DE NORMANVILLE.

WAIST BELT. No. 515,302. Patented Feb. 20, 1894.

3 sheetsesheet 1.

(Model '3 Sheets-Sheet. 2;

W. L. DE NORMANVILLE.

- WAIST BELT.

1%., 515,302. 0 Patented Feb. 20, 1894.

(Modem 3 Sheets-Sheet 3..

W. L. DE NOR'MANVILLE.

WAIST BELT.

No. 515,302. Patented Feb. 20, 1894.

\VILLIAM LOUIS DE NORMANVILLE, OF LEAMINGTON, ENGLAND.

WAIST-BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettems Patent No. 515,302, dated February20, 189 1.

Application filed December 20,1892. Serial No. 155,796. (Model) Patentedin England September 16, 1891, No. 15,684; in

France December 15,1892,1 I0. 226,410; in 'Belgium December 1892 No.102,561: in Germany December 1 1892] 70,080: in Italy December 31, 1892,LXV, 140; in Spain February 18, 1893, No. 14,062, and in Austria-HungaryJune 21 1893, No- 64345 and No.10,916.

To all whom it weary concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LoUIs DE NORMANVILLE, civil engineer, asubject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at No. 6Clarendon Crescent, Learnington, in the county of Warwick, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Waist-Belts, (for which I haveobtained Letters Patent in Great Britain and Ireland, No. 15,684, datedSeptember 16, 1891; in France, No. 226,410, dated December 15, 1892; inBelgium, No. 102,561, dated December 15, 1892; in Germany, No. 70,080,dated December 15, 1892; in Austria-IIungary, No. 64,345 and No. 10,916,dated June 21, 1893; in Italy, LXV, 140, dated December 31, 1892, and inSpain, No. 14,062, dated February 18, 18.93,) of which the following isa specification.

According to this invention, waist belts, are so constructed that whenapplied they control the form of the figure or waist, causing analteration in the form thereof, and reducing it at the sides, whileallowing its expansion at those points where the extra size is not of somuch moment or so perceptible, namely, at the front and back, thecircumference remaining approximately the same, and

= no inconvenience or injurious effect being produced on the wearer. TheWaist is reduced at the sides or in transverse diameter by causing alocalized pressure at the sides and thus a figure or wasit which is notround is changed into one that approximately is so. On the other hand,tightening an ordinary beltwould reduce the diameter from the front toback at the same time with the transverse diameter, so that a reductionof a given amount in the transverse diameter would not be obtained inmost. persons without a reduction approximating three times that amountin the circumference.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention I show several forms bywhich the effect herein specified is produced.

The same letters of reference are used throughout the views of thedrawings to denote the same, like or equivalent parts wherever theyoccur.

Figurel isaplan illustrating diagrammatically a waist belt according tothis invention;

and Fig. 2 shows the belt by itself. Fig. 3 is a plan, illustratingdiagrammatically, a slightly different form of belt. Fig. 4 is a similarview of another form of belt. Fig. 5 is a side view of the form of beltillustrated in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 a plan of one part of stillanother form ofbelt; Fig. 7 an elevation of a ladys figure with my improved beltapplied thereto. Fig. 8, is a detail view, illustrating a portion of abelt fluted or corrugated to give strength to the belt, as hereinafterdescribed. Fig. 9 is a plan view of one of the metallic or spring partsof the belt, built up of two or more superimposed pieces of spring metalof different length, for the purpose of adding strength to the belt.Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate elevations of modified forms of the metallicparts of the belt. Fig. 12 is an elevation of one part of the beltshowing the springs or metallic pieces, used in multiple.

In Fig. 1, a designates metallic portions of the belt; 12. representsdiagrammatically the form of waist when ordinary belts or corsets areworn (which I call the natural form); and 0 represents diagrammaticallythe form of waist produced by the application of my belt, that is,approximately circular.

The parts a in Figs. 1 and 2 consist of flat or slightly curved springsof steel, or other suitable material, of convenient width and thickness,say about three-fourths inch wide, the thickness at the center beingabout 20 British imperial wire gage; the strength however being a matterofpersonal taste accord ing to the amount of reduction of transversediameter desired.

In Fig. 1, the springs a are straight and tapered down in thickness fromthe center toward both ends, to obtain stiffness or the greateststrength in the center, (the parts required to press with greatestpressure upon the sides of the waist) and to give the desired localcompression and reduction. 6 are bands on the ends of thesprings 0t,0l16or two of which have buckles a, through which the ends of the others arepassed. On drawing the belt together round the waist the ends of thesprings a will be drawn toward each other, back and front, till theyassume a curved form, and together with the other parts of the belt, lieclose too back and front.

against the body. By the construction and form of the springs in theirnatural condition, it will be evident, as already stated, that theirtendency is to press locally with greatest strength on each side of thewaist, and that the pressure decreases gradually toward the In thisconstruction, and also in all those specified, the side stiff parts a ofthe belts are of a form externally tangential to the natural curveof thesides of the waists of persons. The transverse diameter of the waist isthereby reduced, while the front to back diameter is increased, so thatthe waist approximates the more pleasing circular form without reductionof circumference, and withoutinconvenience or injury to the wearer. Thebands I) may be made of leather, woven web, or suitable textile or othermaterial, and may entirely cover the metallic parts 6;, or go outside orinside same, from end to end, and be sewed or otherwise suitablyfastened thereto; or they may be fastened to each end of the metallicparts instead of being continuous. usually put on over the corset, andthereby not only reduce the transverse diameter of the waist at theparts where the springs lie but transmit the circumferentially localizedpressure vertically through the bones of the corset, therebyproducinggraduated pressure on each side of the waist, starting from themaximum at the smallest part of the waist and diminishing upward anddownward, resulting in an approximately circular form at the waist, anda graceful and pleasing expansion upward and downward therefrom.

The parts orsprings ain Figs. 1 and 2 may be of the same widththroughout, but thickest in the center, and tapering away, as shown,toward both ends. Or, they may be of the same thickness throughout andreduced. toward the ends in width, or in quantity of material, orgraduated in effective strength in any other suitable way-such forinstance as in the manner set forth with reference to Figs. 9, 10, and11 hereinafter described.

Fig. 2 shows a beltsimilar to that in Fig. 1,

in its natural form (11. 8. off the waist) when drawn up and buckledtogether at a point about'which it would reach if applied to the waistcircumference; .that is, its circumference as fastened is equal to thatof the waist shown in Fig. 1. There is, however, in this belt, a slightmodification as to form, viz., the extremities of the springs a areslightly turned inward. The construction is provided in order to preventthe extremities or points of the springs from standing away from thefigure and producing corners or an irregularity of form in the waist.This feature may be applied in any casewhere it may be deemed desirableor necessary, whether the parts a be of spring construction or rig-id,as hereinafter described, and whether curved or straight.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the belt shown These belts are therein isconstructed with rigid or approximately rigid metallic parts a; a,externally tangential to the natural curve '17. of the figure, the sameefiect however being produced as by the springs shown in Figs 1 and 2.In this case the rigid metallic parts a a are formed toa tangentialcurvature of larger radius than that of the curve at the sides of thewaist to be produced, viz. rather larger radius than the circular curve0, to allow for slight bending. In the figure this radius is designateda while the radius of the curve of the sides of the natural waistisdesignated n, and that of the circular curve 0'.

In the modification shown in Fig.4 the belt is made out of a continuouspiece of steel spring fastened together at its ends bythe stud o,fitting into apertures c in the other end of the belt.

The parts a which are re-- quired to exercise the greatest pressure uponthe sides of the waist may be thicker or wider I and therefore strongerthan the other parts. In Fig.5 a similar belt is shown extended in astraight line, the parts a which exert the' special local pressure beingin this case of the same thickness but wider than the other 1 parts.l/Vhen the endsof such a belt arefastened together the greaterresistance of the parts Ct to bending causes the belt to assume,- whenoff the waist, a form or curvature substantially as shown in Fig. 4.When fastened on the waist, the tendency of the belt to re-- tain itselliptical form produces and maintains the special local pressure at thesidesof the A waist, producing the effects above specified. A belt ofequal strength of material throughout its length, but curved to the formshown 1 before tempering, will give similar effects.-

The belt shown in Fig. 6 is composed of metal strips with bands I), butin this case the metal which must be spring metal, such as steel, orrolled brass, is of equal section T throughout, and is formed witha-graduated curve, as shown, toward the ends, the central part beingstraight or nearly so (or even convex to the figure).

The springs or pieces a, of" belts, may be made strong by making themfluted-or corrugated in form, as shown in cross section in I Fig. 8. Insuch cases the fiuting or corrugation may be gradually reduced in depthor length from the center to near both ends, by which construction thestiffness or strength thereof is graduated, the object and effect ofwhich is hereinbefore stated. To some forms of figure this point orfeature may be important, as, for instance, for short waisted persons.As regards stiffness or strength, however, this may be obtained andgraduated in different ways. graduating the thickness of metal as inFig.

The most simple is that of i 1, and that in Fig. 9 in which the metalspring part a is shown built up of two or more-superimposed pieces ofspring metal, of different length. Or again, the width may be graduated,the thickness'being constant as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Or again, theeffective pressure exerted may be graduated by forming the parts a todifferent or graduated curvature, such as shown in Fig. 6.

In Figs. 10 and 11 the ends of the pieces a are left of full width; thisis done to avoid pointed ends and possible penetration of the belt orclothes thereby.

In Fig. 11 the triangular spaces marked 7?. are formed in the springs a.by cutting out pieces of this form, thereby reducing gradually theefieetive width and strength.

In Fig. 12 the springs or stiffening pieces a are shown used inmultiple. This constructibn is suitable for application to broad beltsin or to which the parts a may be sewed or otherwise fastened. In suchcases the springs would preferably be narrow, say from onefourth toone-half inch wide, placed one above the other as shown.

In Fig. 7 is shown a vertical front elevation of a ladys figure with abelt according to this invention applied. The full lines 0 at the waistrepresent the figure as produced by the belt which is assumed to beapplied over the ordinary corset, while the natural transverse width ofthe waist wearing an ordinary corset of the same waist measurement orcircumference without myimprovements is represented by the dotted lines01.

My figure improving belts may be used or worn either under or over theouter dress, and the parts a may be made of any suitable material inlieu of metal; and attached to garments in any convenient or desiredmanner.

What I claim is- A waist. belt substantially as herein described,consisting of side parts a, front and back parts I), and a fastener tofasten the belt when on, said side parts being adapted to lie on theside of the waist and of extra stiffness so that they resist bending tothe curve of the waist in greater degree than the front and backportions; whereby when the belt is applied and fastened the superiorresistance to bending of said side parts of the belt exerts loeally-atthe sides of the waista greater pressure than is exerted by the otherparts of the belt upon the front and back, redueing the transversediameter of the waist and altering its form without reduction of itscircumference; for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM LOUIS DE NORMANVILLE.

Witnesses:

O. NowELL,

82 Rcmelagh Terrace, Leamington.

W. G. THORNTON,

56 Clarendon Street, Lea'rm'ngton.

